Welcome to Only Bitters ‑ Cocktail Merchants
We are your cocktail merchants, with Australia's broadest selection of quality ingredients and tools for the cocktail enthusiast. We have lovingly compiled a curated range of bitters, syrups, liqueurs, vermouth, and barware to provide plenty of inspiration for your next round.
Helping you craft the perfect drink!
Featured products
Our Blog
All About Acids
Exlploring Acidic Additives For decades, getting a cocktail to pop meant one thing: reaching for the citrus press. If you wanted sour, you squeezed a lime. But today’s craft cocktail movement has ushered in a new era of "acid adjusting" and crystal-clear drinks, all thanks to powdery, isolated organic acids. By dissolving specific food-grade acids into water or juices, bartenders can tweak flavour profiles, mimic citrus without adding pulp, and keep drinks perfectly clear. Citric Acid: The Classic Brightener Where It’s Found: Lemons, limes, grapefruits. The Flavour Profile: Sharp, immediate, and fiercely refreshing. It’s the baseline sourness most of us expect in a cocktail. How To Use It: Citric acid is the backbone of "fake lime juice" or "buffered citrus solutions." By dissolving citric acid powder into water, you get the aggressive sourness of fresh lemon juice without the cloudy pulp or the ticking clock of spoilage. It allows bartenders to create crystal-clear, shelf-stable Daiquiris or Margaritas. Malic Acid: The Crisp, Green Punch Where It’s Found: Green apples, rhubarb, grapes. The Flavour Profile: A lingering, sour-apple tang that hits the sides of your tongue and stays there a bit longer than citric acid. How Bartenders Use It: To engineer a "lime juice" proxy, they rarely use citric acid alone. Limes actually contain a blend of both citric and malic acids. Combining them produces a much more realistic lime substitute. It’s also incredibly useful for intensifying fruit flavours in cordials or highballs without watering them down. Lactic Acid: The Smooth, Creamy Sour Where It’s Found: Yogurt, sourdough bread, fermented foods. The Flavour Profile: Mild, soft, and distinctly milky or savoury. It offers a rounder acidity that lacks the sharp bite of fruit acids. How Bartenders Use It: Lactic acid adds a velvety mouthfeel and a gentle sour tang to drinks. It is fantastic for savoury cocktails, tropical drinks that feature coconut, or clarified milk punches where you want a creamy texture alongside a subtle, structured brightness. Tartaric Acid: The Heavyweight Drying Agent Where It’s Found: Grapes, tamarind, bananas. The Flavour Profile: Intensely tart, sharp, and mouth-watering, with a metallic or astringent edge that mimics the dry finish of wine. How Bartenders Use It: Tartaric acid is the secret to building "wine-forward" characteristics into a drink without opening a bottle of Cabernet. It provides an excellent structural spine for stirred, spirit-forward cocktails, adding complexity and a long, dry finish that cuts beautifully through heavy sugars or bitter liqueurs. Shop Our Range of Acid Powders Here Quick Reference: The Bartender's Acid Guide Acid Taste Profile Best Used For... Citric Sharp, bright, aggressive Crystal-clear citrus substitutes (Margaritas, Gimlets) Malic Crisp, green-apple snap Revving up orchard fruit flavours; blending with citric to mimic lime Lactic Creamy, soft, savoury Savoury drinks, tropical builds, adding velvety mouthfeel Tartaric Deep, wine-like, astringent Stirred drinks needing a dry, structural finish; mimicking grapes Putting Acids to Work While understanding the distinct profiles of citric, malic, lactic, and tartaric acids lays the conceptual groundwork, the real magic happens when you move these powders to the back bar. Transitioning from abstract chemical traits to practical mixology allows you to bypass the constraints of traditional citrus altogether. By precisely blending these isolated acids in water, you can construct "fake" lime and lemon juices that mimic the sharp bite and structural balance of fresh juice—completely clear, entirely shelf-stable, and measured to the exact gram for flawless cocktail consistency. Lime Acid Solution Fresh lime juice is roughly 6% total acidity, driven by a heavy dose of citric acid but uniquely rounded out by the sharp, green-apple snap of malic acid. Ingredients & Tools 94g Filtered Water 4g Food-Grade Citric Acid Powder 2g Food-Grade Malic Acid Powder *Optional:10 Dashes of Lime Bitters Tools: A digital scale that reads to 0.1 grams, and a small glass bottle. Lemon Acid Solution Fresh lemon juice is slightly less complex than lime, sitting at about 5% to 6% total acidity. It is overwhelmingly dominant in citric acid, with only a tiny fraction of malic. Ingredients & Tools 94g Filtered Water 5.7g Food-Grade Citric Acid Powder 0.3g Food-Grade Malic Acid Powder *Optional - 10 Dashes of Lemon bitters Tools: A digital scale that reads to 0.1 grams, and a small glass bottle. Method of Preparation 1. Weigh the Liquids and Powders Requires a 0.1g scale Place a sanitised container or glass bottle onto your scale and tare it to zero. Carefully weigh out your water first, then add the exact grams of citric and malic acid powders. 2. Agitate to Dissolve Cap the bottle and shake vigorously, or use a milk frother/blender. Because these acids are highly water-soluble, they will completely dissolve into a crystal-clear liquid within a minute or two at room temperature. *3. Incorporate Aroma (Optional) Flavour is 80% smell. Because isolated acids are completely odourless, adding some citrus bitters helps mimic the expression of citrus peels. Shake intensely after adding to disperse the bitters. Storage & Usage: Store these solutions in sanitised glass bottles in the fridge. Because there are no fruit sugars or solids, they will easily last 2 to 3 weeks without losing brightness or spoiling. Use them in a 1:1 ratio exactly as you would fresh juice (e.g., 30ml of your lime solution for 30ml of fresh lime in a Daiquiri).
Read Full Post
All About Amaro - Our Category Explainer
Amaro—the Italian word for "bitter"—refers to a celebrated category of aromatic, bittersweet liqueurs. Traditionally enjoyed as a pre-dinner aperitivo to stimulate the appetite or a post-meal digestivo to aid digestion, amaro has deep roots in Italian culture. How It’s Made These complex spirits are crafted by macerating or distilling a blend of botanicals—including bitter barks, roots, herbs, citrus peels, and spices—in a base of neutral alcohol, brandy, or wine. After blending, most amari are rested, and some are aged in barrels for months or even years to develop layered complexity. The Flavour Profile While common bittering agents like gentian root, wormwood, and cinchona bark form the foundation, a single recipe can feature anywhere from a handful to over 40 secret ingredients, such as saffron, rhubarb, and mint. Consequently, amaro spans a massive spectrum: alcohol content ranges from 16% to 40% ABV, sweetness moves from syrupy to bone-dry, and flavors shift from bright citrus and florals to deep, medicinal herbs. Amaro vs. Cocktail Bitters While they share a similar botanical DNA, the main difference lies in how they are consumed. Amaro is "potable"—meant to be poured and enjoyed on its own. Cocktail bitters, by contrast, are highly concentrated, high-proof, and designed to be used by the dash. A Rich History Amaro originated in medieval monasteries, where monks formulated secret, alcohol-based tonics using local ingredients—like alpine herbs in the north of Italy or bitter oranges in Sicily—for medicinal use. It wasn't until after World War II that amaro successfully transitioned from a health remedy into the commercial, pleasure-first beverage we love today. The Science of Bitter: Why It Works Humans have a natural, genetic predisposition to avoid bitter flavors. Evolutionarily, we are hardwired to associate bitterness with potential toxicity. Because of this, the moment your brain detects a bitter taste, it triggers a physical defense mechanism: your body immediately kick-starts the digestive system, producing an influx of saliva and gastric juices to process and dispel what you have ingested. It is this exact biological reaction that makes amaro so effective. When consumed before a meal, it awakens the palate and increases appetite; when enjoyed afterward, those same gastric juices help settle the stomach and accelerate digestion. While every amaro recipe is unique, most rely on a core foundation of bittering agents. Here is how the three most common ingredients shape the flavor profile: Gentian Root | Bright, Clean & Earthy - The undisputed backbone of many classic amari, gentian brings a remarkably clean, intensely bitter punch that grounds the lighter, sweeter botanicals in a blend. Wormwood | Musky, Heavy & Herbaceous - Famous for its role in absinthe and vermouth, wormwood offers a deep, heavy bitterness with a distinct, musky herbal aroma that lingers beautifully on the palate. Cinchona Bark | Dry, Woody & Structured - The source of natural quinine, cinchona adds a bone-dry, wood-forward bitterness. It provides excellent structure, preventing the liqueur from feeling overly syrupy or sweet. The Challenge of Classification Categorising amaro is notoriously difficult. Unlike whiskey or tequila, amaro has no strict legal definition or universal production rules. The base liquid can be a neutral grain spirit, grappa, brandy, or wine. Producers are free to use any botanical they choose, and the balance of sweetness and bitterness varies wildly from bottle to bottle. Even the choice of sweetener isn't standard—while sugar is common, honey frequently makes an appearance. Colour is another wild card. While traditional amari get their dark hue from natural caramelisation, popular bottles like Aperol and Campari are artificially coloured. In Italy, these lighter, vibrant expressions are often referred to using the English term "bitter" or "aperitivo bitters" rather than amaro. To help demystify this vast spirit category, we can broadly organize amari into a few core styles. Aperitivo Bitters The defining characteristic here is visual. Instead of the deep, caramel-toned hues of traditional amaro, these are dyed bright orange or red (though historically colored with natural ingredients like cochineal beetles). They are vibrant, punchy, and designed to open a meal. Examples: Campari, Okar Bitter, Esquimalt Bitter Red, Maidenii Roselle, Beechworth Bitters Beetle Juice Light & Citrus Typically hailing from southern Italy where citrus groves thrive, these expressions focus heavily on bright fruit peels. They lean sweeter, offer a gentler bitterness, and are highly approachable for beginners. Examples: Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Nonino, Beechworth Bitters Orchard Alpine Sourced from the high-altitude regions of northern Italy, alpine amari are bracingly bitter and noticeably less sweet. They lean heavily on pine, bark, and mountain herbs, often leaving a cool, mentholated finish on the palate. Examples: Braulio, Alta Verde, Amaro Alpino Cola-esque Produced all over Italy, this balanced, dark, and spice-driven style strikes a crowd-pleasing middle ground between sweetness and bitterness. The unifying trait is a distinct, nostalgic flavour profile reminiscent of cola. Examples: Amaro Averna, Amaro Lucano, Ramazzotti Carciofo (Artichoke) A small but deeply revered niche, carciofo amari are primarily flavored with artichoke leaves or cardoon thistle. Don't expect it to taste like a vegetable side dish, though; it yields a rich, deeply savory, and pleasantly earthy bitterness. Examples: Cynar, Cardamaro Fernet The intense, unapologetic peak of the amaro world. Fernet is aggressively bitter, dark, and viscous. It layers sharp, earthy roots like gentian and Chinese rhubarb with intense, medicinal notes of peppermint, saffron, myrrh, and aloe. Examples: Fernet-Branca, Beechworth Bitters Company Up To Eleven Rabarbaro This style crowns Chinese rhubarb root as its hero ingredient, resulting in a smoky, medicinal, and deeply earthy bitterness. Take note: this is made from a specific dried medicinal root, not the common garden rhubarb stalks used in pies, whose roots and leaves are actually toxic. Examples: Sfumato Rabarbaro, Nardini Rabarbaro, Zucca Check Out Our Full Amaro Range
Read Full Post
Producer Visit: Beechworth Bitters Company
It’s a bright, sunny autumn morning in Beechworth. I'm sitting outside Provenance Restaurant waiting for the owner, Michael Ryan, to arrive. He’s picking me up to take me on a tour of Beechworth Bitters Company, his liqueur & cocktail bitters operation. Very excitingly, I’m getting to ride in what I would call his bitters-mobile, an imported Japanese Kei Truck. Michael arrives, greets me and ducks off into the restaurant to grab some supplies. A hefty bundle of lemongrass and a tub of ginger are hastily stowed in the truck. We head off on our way to the distillery. On the short 10 minute drive, multiple locals warmly wave as they recognise the truck coming past. Once we arrive, Michael opens the wooden double doors to reveal his workspace. The building is tucked into the hillside to protect its contents from sunlight and temperature. To one side, a wall is lined with wire shelves,brimming with an array of bottles, demijohns and jars filled with individual tinctures of botanicals. A veritable liquid library of ingredients. With lemongrass and ginger in hand, Michael gets to work preparing for extraction. While he works, he runs me through the process and answers my questions about production, ingredients and purpose. Below is our conversation edited for clarity and length. Only Bitters: What initially drew you to the world of Bitters & Amari? Michael Ryan: Oh, the first long lockdown. No, the second, I was a bit bored. I’d always wanted to make cocktail bitters and suddenly had the time to. Bitters are just a simple version of amaro really. So I set out making a library of botanicals. Only Bitters: When you’re building a new recipe, do you tend to start with an ingredient and build out from there? Or with a specific end goal already in mind before selecting the ingredients? For the Yuzucello, I thought I needed something that wasn’t an amaro and to showcase the amazing yuzu from Ovens Valley (Mountain Yuzu). I knew I wanted to do a citrus amaro, a red aperitif, a fernet and a richer style. The B8 kind of came out of nowhere. I had always wanted to do a herbal liqueur, partly because the name for it, In The Weeds, came first. Only Bitters: It’s a pretty complex liqueur. How many ingredients have you got going into In The Weeds? Micheal Ryan: Fifty in that one. It’s the most complex, but actually one of the easier ones to make. It’s all maceration at higher alcohol and all fresh. It’s just getting enough botanicals to do it that’s hard. I use it a lot in the bar actually, it’s very handy. Only Bitters: Maceration can be a slow game. How do you decide when the botanic has infused the right amount of flavour into the spirit? Michel Ryan: It really depends on the botanicals, so fresh herbs I’ll do 6 hours maximum, woody herbs like rosemary I’ll let go for a few days. Citrus I used to do citrus for two weeks but now I just leave them in, I don’t find that it pulls out undesirable flavours. Often for herbs, I’ll do a water maceration after the initial one in spirit and then use that to dilute down the first maceration. At this point Michael has finished processing the ginger and lemongrass, blending them down and adding neutral spirit to start the extraction process. He begins to show me through some of the botanicals in the liquid library. There's whole cumquats sitting in large jars, rows upon rows of herbal tinctures, like rivermint, yellowdock, fresh wormwood,nettles and burdock. There are juices of carrot, tomato and bergamot that have been fortified for use in amaro (I wish you could all smell the Bergamot, it's incredible). Yuzu leaf jumps out as a flavour I’m not immediately familiar with. Only Bitters: Can you tell me about the Yuzu leaf? I know what to expect from Yuzu fruit, but I’ve never tried the leaves. Michael Ryan: I’d certainly thought about using it before, but it’s like I’ve got enough, I’ve got 175 ingredients so I don't need anymore. But then I did the Yuzu Leaf and actually, it’s pretty good. It’s fantastic. It tastes like Yuzu, but it’s got that extra layer of herbaceous flavour. I’m using it in the new Vin Amaro that I’m doing. Only Bitters: I had the pleasure of trying some of the new Vin Amaro last night and it was delicious. How did it come about? Michael Ryan: They were doing a Beechworth Chardonnay dinner, it was all chardonnay and I thought “I want to go to that dinner”. They said they needed something to break up the Chardonnay. Only Bitters: Which is a funny thing to say for a planned chardonnay dinner. Michael Ryan: Yeah, Chardonnay at every course but then what do you do for dessert? They gave me the Chardonnay and I played around with it. It was delicious, but hadn’t fermented dry, just too much residual sugar for a wine. Only Bitters: So what flavours are going into the Vin Amaro? Michael Ryan: So there’s green tea from the kiewa valley, yuzu leaf and yuzu rind. I just wanted to use lots of local ingredients. That's when I started using hops too. Only Bitters: Is there an ingredient that you've worked with that had a surprising end result? Michael Ryan: Meadowsweet, it's got a really cola note. So many amaro have that cola note to it, how do I achieve that? Cola is just citrus and spices. (he shows me a particular section of tinctures on the shelf) These are all my witchy herbs here, you know sarsaparilla and hyssop, have I got any Meadowsweet? Yep, this is the meadowsweet... And yeah, you get that real cola, smell. It's also good for colour, as I don’t add any caramel colouring. Michael has finished up and labeled the ginger and lemon grass tinctures. We grab some stock to take back to Provenance for the upcoming evening. There’s a tasting on offer in the upstairs Parlour Amaro Bar that I'm excited for. Check out the notes from the tasting below. Read the full Tasting of Beechworth Bitters Amaro & Liqueur
Read Full Post